Biola and the Age of the Earth

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#1

It will be interesting to see how Axe’s ID work will be made to conform to Biola’s doctrinal statement which proclaims Genesis to be literal and inerrant.

The Bible, consisting of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God, a supernaturally given revelation from God Himself, concerning Himself, His being, nature, character, will and purposes; and concerning man, his nature, need and duty and destiny. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are without error or misstatement in their moral and spiritual teaching and record of historical facts. They are without error or defect of any kind.

I wonder how Meyer’s “Darwin’s Doubt” claims about ID in the Cambrian era 525 MYA will be crammed into a 6000 year young Earth and a literal Noah’s Flood / Noah’s Ark?

Remember the name BIOLA is short for the Bible Institute Of Los Angeles.

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Doug Axe’s Endowed Chair at Biola
#2

Just look at Reasons to Believe. Biola profs are usually old earth and follow Chicago Statements.

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#3

Does Biola allow research supporting an old Earth view be published under the Biola name with Biola’s support and blessing? I’m honestly curious.

#4

Absolutely.

Biola is where the fundamentalist papers were published but they lie halfway between, say, Bob Jones University and Wheaton College.

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#5

Can you give a few examples?

#6

John Bloom: On Human Origins: A Survey

Sean McDowell: Should Christians Divide Over the Age of the Earth?… | Sean McDowell

William Lane Craig: WLC on Evidence and Evolution.

Now WLC and Sean both endorsed my book. This is a big deal, because this book makes space for evolutionary science, which is actually outside the Biola statement of belief. This is a major development. I don’t think this has ever happened before.

Add to this, WLC is writing a book with me that is going to present the evidence for common descent…certainly nothing like this has happened before.

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#7

Thanks Dr. S but I was more thinking of scientific research supporting an old Earth published in the primary scientific literature. I assume anything Dr. Axe does on ID will be properly peer-reviewed and vetted there. Possibly a bad assumption on my part given ID’s track record.

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#8

So BioLa is an undergraduate teaching institution that does not have high research requirements. They don’t, for the most part, publish primary scientific work, though I’m sure there are occasional exceptions.

It is well understood by their constituency that ID-OEC is the dominant position there.

#9

I’d like to hear more about this project

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#10

Thus far, this is what is public: Exploring a Book Project with William Lane Craig. You can ask questions, and I’ll use my judgement in answering.